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Vertical drop design, Q 1.8 m3/s (drop 0.75 m)

Short answer

Crest length 1.20 m, crest level 106.17 m, head 0.87 m. Wall bottom width 1.43 m. Cistern depth 0.30 m, length 4.83 m. Floor thickness 0.65 m near wall tapering to 0.30 m.

Design a vertical drop structure for the data given below. Full supply discharge u/s and d/s = 1.8 cumecs; Drop height = 0.75 m; FSL u/s and d/s = 106.997 and 106.247; Full Supply depth u/s and d/s = 0.929 m; Bed levels u/s and d/s = 106.068 and 105.318; Bed width u/s and d/s = 1.2 m. Top width of crest = 0.5 m for initial assumption, Cd = 0.415 for rectangular crest. The drop structure is of masonry with specific gravity 2.0. Side slope of the canal is 1:1. The Bligh's coefficient as 6.0 for sandy loam soil at foundation.

Given data and assumptions

  • Q=1.8Q = 1.8 m³/s, bed width B=1.2B = 1.2 m, side slope 1:1, u/s FSL =106.997= 106.997 m, u/s bed =106.068= 106.068 m, d/s bed =105.318= 105.318 m.
  • Full supply depth u/s Du=0.929D_u = 0.929 m, d/s Dd=0.929D_d = 0.929 m (d/s FSL =106.247= 106.247 m); drop in water level HL=0.750H_L = 0.750 m.
  • Bligh's coefficient C=6C = 6; specific gravity of masonry G=2.0G = 2.0.

1. Upstream flow conditions

A=(B+mDu)Du=(1.2+1×0.929)(0.929)=1.978 m2v=Q/A=0.910 m/s,ha=v22g=0.042 m\begin{aligned} A &= (B + mD_u)D_u = (1.2 + 1\times0.929)(0.929) = 1.978\ \text{m}^2 \\ v &= Q/A = 0.910\ \text{m/s}, \qquad h_a = \frac{v^2}{2g} = 0.042\ \text{m} \end{aligned}

2. Crest length, head and crest level

Discharge over a rectangular crest: Q=Cd2g L H3/2Q = C_d\sqrt{2g}\,L\,H^{3/2} with Cd2g=1.838C_d\sqrt{2g} = 1.838, where HH is the total head over the crest (including hah_a). Take crest length equal to the bed width, L=BL = B:

H=(Q1.838 L)2/3=(1.81.838×1.2)2/3=0.873 mH = \left(\frac{Q}{1.838\,L}\right)^{2/3} = \left(\frac{1.8}{1.838\times1.2}\right)^{2/3} = 0.873\ \text{m} Crest level=FSLu+ha−H=106.997+0.042−0.873=106.17 m\text{Crest level} = FSL_u + h_a - H = 106.997 + 0.042 - 0.873 = 106.17\ \text{m}

Height of crest above d/s bed dc=106.17−105.32=0.85d_c = 106.17 - 105.32 = 0.85 m.

3. Cistern (energy dissipation)

Discharge per metre length of crest q=Q/L=1.500q = Q/L = 1.500 m²/s. Energy available above the d/s bed E1=FSLu+ha−d/s bed=1.721E_1 = FSL_u + h_a - \text{d/s bed} = 1.721 m. For a cistern of depth XX below the d/s bed, the jump must form with the conjugate depth y2y_2 equal to the tail water over the cistern, y2=Dd+Xy_2 = D_d + X. Solving with E1+X=y1+q2/(2gy12)E_1 + X = y_1 + q^2/(2gy_1^2) and y2=y12(1+8F12−1)y_2 = \frac{y_1}{2}(\sqrt{1+8F_1^2} - 1):

  • Required X=0.289X = 0.289 m. Provide X=0.30X = 0.30 m (cistern floor level =105.02= 105.02 m).
  • With this XX: y1=0.255y_1 = 0.255 m, F1=3.72F_1 = 3.72, y2=1.220y_2 = 1.220 m.

Length of cistern (hydraulic jump length) Lc=5(y2−y1)=5(1.220−0.255)=4.83L_c = 5(y_2 - y_1) = 5(1.220 - 0.255) = 4.83 m.

4. Crest (drop) wall

Top width (assumed) T=0.50T = 0.50 m; check 0.55dc=0.550.85=0.510.55\sqrt{d_c} = 0.55\sqrt{0.85} = 0.51 m ≈0.50\approx 0.50 m, so it is adequate. Height of wall from cistern floor to crest Hw=106.17−105.02=1.15H_w = 106.17 - 105.02 = 1.15 m. Bottom width for a gravity masonry wall:

Bw=Hw+HG=1.15+0.872=1.43 mB_w = \frac{H_w + H}{\sqrt{G}} = \frac{1.15 + 0.87}{\sqrt{2}} = 1.43\ \text{m}

Adopt bottom width Bw=1.43B_w = 1.43 m (not less than the top width), with the d/s face vertical or slightly battered.

5. Length of impervious floor (Bligh's theory)

Total creep length required L=C HL=6×0.750=4.50L = C\,H_L = 6\times0.750 = 4.50 m. Cut-offs: u/s d1=0.6d_1 = 0.6 m, d/s d2=0.9d_2 = 0.9 m. Downstream floor length (Bligh) with qq in m²/s:

Ld=2.21 CHLq/75=2.21×60.7501.500/75=4.32 mL_d = 2.21\,C\sqrt{H_L\sqrt{q/75}} = 2.21\times6\sqrt{0.750\sqrt{1.500/75}} = 4.32\ \text{m}

The d/s floor (measured from the toe of the wall) must also contain the cistern, so adopt Ld=4.83L_d = 4.83 m. Creep already provided by cut-offs and wall =2(d1+d2)+Bw=4.43= 2(d_1 + d_2) + B_w = 4.43 m, so the u/s floor needed is

bu=L−[2(d1+d2)+Bw+Ld]=−4.76 mb_u = L - [2(d_1+d_2) + B_w + L_d] = -4.76\ \text{m}

Bligh's creep is already satisfied, so a nominal u/s floor of 1.0 m is provided. Actual creep =10.26= 10.26 m ≥4.50\ge 4.50 m, safe. Total floor length =bu+Bw+Ld=7.26= b_u + B_w + L_d = 7.26 m.

6. Thickness of the floor

Pressure head at the toe of the wall: creep to that point =3.63= 3.63 m, so residual head h1=HL Lact−3.63Lact=0.485h_1 = H_L\,\dfrac{L_{act} - 3.63}{L_{act}} = 0.485 m. At the end of the cistern the creep is 8.46 m and h2=0.132h_2 = 0.132 m.

t1=43h1G−1=43×0.4851.00=0.65 mt_1 = \frac{4}{3}\frac{h_1}{G-1} = \frac{4}{3}\times\frac{0.485}{1.00} = 0.65\ \text{m}

Adopt floor thickness 0.65 m under the cistern near the wall, tapering to 0.30 m at the end of the floor (minimum 0.30 m).

Summary

ComponentValue
Crest level106.17 m
Crest length / head HH1.20 m / 0.87 m
Crest wall top / bottom width0.50 m / 1.43 m
Cistern depth / length0.30 m / 4.83 m
Floor: u/s 1.0 m, d/s 4.83 m, cut-offs 0.6 / 0.9 mtotal creep 10.26 m
Floor thickness0.65 m (taper to 0.30 m)

Answer: crest level 106.17 m, crest length 1.20 m, crest wall 0.50 m top and 1.43 m bottom width, cistern depth 0.30 m and length 4.83 m, floor length 7.26 m, floor thickness 0.65 m.

Sketch:

 FSL u/s ~~~~~~~~~~~|
                    |  crest
 u/s bed ___________|__          FSL d/s ~~~~
        |  u/s floor |  \  drop        ~~~~~
     d1 |            |   \_____cistern________ d/s bed
        |            |<-Lc->|   d/s floor   | d2
                     |____ floor thickness __|

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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